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2014 Topps

Do you like Buzz Breaks? Today’s your day then as we launch 12 in 12 — a series of a dozen breaks of past wax boxes and wax packs in a dozen hours. We’ll post one every hour on the hour all day long today … this is Hour 7.

Like many collectors, Buzz is a fan of grading and knows that there are many reasons that collectors choose to slab cards. Sometimes it’s to enhance the appeal and protect them when selling. Other times it’s to protect an investment for the long-term or to protect for sentimental reasons. Or, it might be just for fun or curiosity about a potential grade.

For the first Grading Diary here on The Buzz, it will be a mix of cards graded for a few reasons.

The Card: 1993 Upper Deck #449 Derek JeterThe Reason Graded: This was pulled straight from an underpriced factory set and looked very clean except for a tiny spot on the back — Buzz figured it might push into the high grades even with the gloss issue. These cards are also not easy to pull from wax or sets cleanly because the high-gloss cards often stick together, peeling away specks of paper. Another reason? This is an iconic card that’s worth grading if you own a clean one.The Grade: BGS 9

Grade:

5

5.5

6

6.5

7

7.5

8

8.5

9

9.5

10

Total

Population:

24

20

65

124

334

761

1,314

1,579

806

307

3

5,360

Reality Check: The SP Jeter rookie is the one people chase, not this one. This one’s $20 on eBay — and perhaps undervalued considering how they grade on the pop report. BGS 9s and higher are really much rarer than people think.